Jaime’s Film Diary: March 15, 2020

As expected, I’ve been keeping my Letterboxd up to date – so here’s yet another update for here in regards to what I have been watching as of late.

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‘First Love’ TIFF Review: Takashi Miike’s Touch Still Remains Intact Over 100 Films in His Career

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It’s always astonishing to me how a director like Takashi Miike is able to push himself into making so many films compared to his own lifespan. There’ll come a point where I’d even find myself asking about how he remains so consistent with having made so many films with that same distinguishable style – but the fact that he’s still able to provide so many of these films would be more than enough to say that the Japanese film industry would never be the same without him. With his latest film, First Love, Takashi Miike does not quite enter new territory just yet but it does not make his films any less entertaining than they always are to watch. But even the tamest of Takashi Miike’s style of filmmaking can also have some of its more interesting aspects to observe and with First Love, he still provides an entertaining ride from start to finish.

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Three… Extremes – Review

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To follow up the underwhelming Three comes a sequel, Three… Extremes which not only brings together some more recognizable names to the table but also what has come along is a more consistently effective trio of short films that ultimately left a much more heightened impact compared to what originally had come by. If Three… Extremes got American distribution first because of these shorts were much better overall, perhaps I can see why that would have been the case. Given a distaste I have for anthology films especially when collaborative efforts are never usually consistent, Three… Extremes was nice to watch in the sense that everything seems to have flowed together perfectly – bringing me back to Kwaidan. Continue reading →

As the Gods Will – Review

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The craziness I’ve grown to love about Miike goes unhinged again. Sure, As the Gods Will may be a mess of a product but it’s entertaining enough while it lasts. It’s not Takashi Miike at his very best but there’s no denying that when it’s to be had, it most certainly is a load of fun. Takashi Miike is one of those filmmakers who has no hinges to the overall insanity or twisted nature of his work, and he usually is one to leave rather exciting results. With As the Gods Will, there’s much more insanity to embrace, even if it stands as what I see as one of the director’s much less significant efforts when compared to what he could provide in films such as Audition or Visitor Q. Continue reading →